Shades of Darkness
by Dengirl
Summary: Chaos has been defeated, but the consequences are dire and something far much worse is coming.
1. Chapter 1

Chaos has been defeated, but the consequences are dire and something far much worse is coming.

**Chapter One**

Jack had never been comfortable in hospitals, even less in places like these. It was the smell, antiseptic and that subtle smell of burnt flesh, it reminded of the smell after they dropped napalm.

He walked quickly down the corridor and into the special wing that Torchwood had acquired and funded. He nodded to the nurse at the station and she buzzed the door and returned to her work.

Jack walked quickly to the only occupied room, but stopped at the door. He took several deep breaths and opened the door.

The first thing that hit him was that smell and he ordered his stomach not to throw its contents. Then the smell of the plastic from the oxygen tent hit him, mixed with the smell of whatever medicine they were using.

Someone was inside the tent as they turned when they heard Jack open the door and stepped out.

"He's been asking for you Jack," Martha said. "Not sure if knows he has, but I'm glad you came."

"Yeah," Jack said. "Is he any better?"

"We've managed to stabilise him and the burns are starting to heal, but I can't say if they'll scar. But he's not stable enough to close the wound on his side. We're hoping to operate within the next couple of days. You can go in after you've put scrubs on, well you know the drill.I have to go and write up my notes, there's a panic button if you need it."

He was just putting the second glove on when he heard his name being called in a desperate tone.

"Jack, need Jack, where is Jack."

Jack hurriedly finished pulling on the glove and entered the tent.

He felt a little giddy when the pure oxygen hit his system.

"Jack," the voice said again, only this time it was weaker, and a hand was reaching out.

He stepped up to the bed and took hold of the hand.

"I'm here, I'm here Doctor."

"Jack," the Doctor sighed and began to speak the same words he'd been repeating since that dreadful day back at the observatory.

"Darkness, nothing but darkness, shades of darkness."

Jack's heart sank; he was no different to the last time, still lost in some trauma induced illusion. He let go of the Doctor's hand so he could drag the single chair over to the bed.

In the second it took to do that the Doctor eyes had opened.

Jack's heart skipped again, maybe this time?

"Hey," he said gently, hoping for a response, but another stab of disappointed ran through him when he didn't get a response. Martha had said this would happen and that it was just a reflex.

"I wish you would come back from wherever you are," he said softly and brushed a stray strand of hair from the Doctor's forehead.

The Doctor moved slightly under his touch and began the same rote again or so Jack thought he was.

He almost fell of the chair when the Doctor shifted violently under his hand and with horror he realised the Doctor was having a seizure.

He hit the panic button and then tried to hold the Doctor still until someone came.

* * *

Jack was pacing up and down outside the operating theatre.

Martha and another doctor had decided they couldn't wait any longer and had taken the Doctor into surgery. Martha had quickly told Jack that the fit must have been caused by blood loss and the shock of third degree burns.

She and the other doctor had decided there was less risk in performing surgery than leaving the Doctor to stabilise.

That had been six hours ago and there was no sign of movement from the theatre doors. Ianto and Gwen had been and gone and had promised to return later, so he was on his own, waiting for news.

He eventually got tired of pacing and settled on one of the chairs and the tension of the past hours got to him and he closed his eyes and dreamt.

The breeze ruffled his hair as he walked through the field of wheat and the smell of blossom filled the air. He came to the end of the field and found himself on a dirt road.

In the distance he saw a house and began walking towards it. As he approached he saw someone sitting on swing that was attached to a large tree.

It was a child, a boy.

He walked past the figure and turned to face the child. The child's eyes were shut and he seemed to be asleep

The boy's eyes opened and he spoke.

"Hello, are you waiting too?"

Jack said nothing at first. "Yeah, I'm waiting."

"My parents said I had to wait," the boy said as he slowly pushed the swing with his feet.

"Wait for what?" Jack said.

The boy blinked. "What everybody else is waiting for silly."

"Then I guess I'm silly, what are you waiting for?"

The boy got off the swing and blinked and Jack suddenly stepped back. The breeze had picked up and there was the feel of a storm in the air.

There was a sneer on the boy's face that didn't look right and there was a flash of something across the boy's eyes, and a voice that was definitely not a child's replied.

"We are waiting, waiting for the Darkness."


	2. Chapter 2

Jack jerked awake when the sound of something crashing to the floor broke through his dream. He looked round for a few seconds, trying to pinpoint the origin of the sound.

Then he heard it again, it was coming from the operating suite.

He walked up to the doors and was about to look through the window when the door flew open and he was propelled backwards and landed in a heap on the floor. He was vaguely aware of the sound of rapidly retreating footfalls, but his attention was taken by the doors bursting opening again.

It was Martha and one of the nurses, their scrubs in disarray and what looked like scratches on their face.

Martha looked panicked and angry at the same time.

"Martha, what the hell is going on?" Jack said.

"Did you see him, which way did he go?"

"See who?"

"The Doctor, Jack. He came round as we were bringing him into recovery. He flipped out and attacked one of the nurses, and me."

Jack was up in an instant, suddenly recalling the footsteps he'd heard. "That way, where does that go!" he snapped.

"The fire escape," the nurse said.

As if to prove her right the fire alarm blasted into life.

"He's making a break for it!" Jack said and sprinted off in the direction of the fire escape. "Call the others, tell we have a code seven!" he yelled at Martha before he disappeared round a corner.

* * *

He had to get away, they were trying to hurt him. Someone had tried to stop him and he had lashed out, his primal instinct giving him strength.

He ignored the pain in his side and ran.

He barrelled through the door and paid no heed to alarm that went off. He stumbled down the metal steps, tripping himself up on

the tubing that was trailing behind him.

With a cry that was a mixture of pain and frustration, he landed heavily on the tarmac. He grabbed hold of the offending obstacle and ripped it away, leaving a bloody trial on the floor.

Only one thought filled his head...run.

* * *

Jack tore down the corridor and out of the open fire escape. He stopped and looked round, desperately hoping that the Doctor had collapsed nearby, but there was no sign of him.

He jogged down the steps and stopped again as he spotted a discarded IV tube, the end stained with blood.

Then he spotted the trail of droplets, they were heading towards...dear god, the railway. He set off again, slower this time, following the blood. As he was tracking his com beeped.

"I'm heading towards the railway, get over the bridge and cut him off that side. Don't approach him, just stop him from getting any further.

Jack vaulted the spiked fence that separated the railway from the road and wonder how the hell the Doctor had managed to get over it. He began wading his way through the overgrown grass that ran alongside the rails.

He stepped out onto the shale and looked left and then right and was relieved to see no train in sight. But that could change at any moment, this was the main commuter line, he glanced at his watch, it was nearly peak travel time. He had to find the Doctor and find him fast.

* * *

His feet hurt from the stones and were now burning from the heat of the metal under his feet; he had to find shelter and water soon. He spied something up ahead, it was dark, hence cool and he could smell water.

It would do for now, until he could figure out a way of finding the TARDIS. He stepped into the dark, feeling the coolness of the bricks under his hand as he felt his way along. He walked carefully but was soon exhausted.

He could hear the steady drip of water just ahead of him and a he forced himself the last few steps. He held out a hand and let the water drip into his hand and he tentatively touched it with his tongue, it was brackish but drinkable and he cupped his hands and greedily drank until his stomach told him to stop.

His thirst quenched for now he sank to the floor, it was damp and uncomfortable, but he was too exhausted to care. The pain from his side was now making its presence felt, painfully. He felt along his side and found what felt like stitches, but they were broken and fluid was seeping through them.

With a grunt of pain and disgust, he began pulling the stitches, humans and their archaic medicines, the stitches would only impair his healing. Gritting his teeth he pulled the last stitch and his body took over and he passed out, the one thing he didn't want to do.

* * *

Jack followed the decreasing blood trail, it eventually stopped, but Jack now had a pretty good idea of where the Doctor was. He looked at his watch again, time was against him.

His com beeped again. "I think I've found him. Ianto I need you to get hold of the rail police."

He walked along the track as he listened to the man on the other side. "I understand your dilemma Captain Harkness, but it would cause severe disruption. I can't shut down an entire network for someone who may not even be on the line. "

"Just for a couple of hours!" Jack pleaded.

"I'm sorry Captain," the voice said and the phone went dead.

"Dammit!" Jack shouted and kicked the shale. He re-opened his com. "Ianto, get Martha and get down to the south bound tunnel."

He closed his com and stepped into the tunnel, hoping that the Doctor was inside.

* * *

The darkness was all pervading; he couldn't see his own hand as he waved in front of his face. He shouldn't be frightened, he'd been in dark places before, but he was and he couldn't fathom why.

Then he felt it, that pressure, the feeling that something was coming, hidden by the darkness.

All he wanted to do was run...but how could he run when he couldn't see. The pressure kept building and building and his body screamed at him to run.

Something touched him and he lashed out.

"Get away from me!" he screamed.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack had moved slowly down the tunnel, letting his eyes adjust to the dark, his hopes of the Doctor being near the end of it were dashed as he moved further into the tunnel. He glanced at his watch again, time was running out and soon there would be a train passing through this tunnel every 15 minutes or so, and it would become very tricky indeed.

He'd gone another two or maybe three metres when he saw movement and heard something or someone shift in the dark. He resisted the urge to call out and tried to move as quietly as possible.

As he moved closer to the origin of the sound and the movement, he knew it was the Doctor.

He could just about see him in the dim light of the tunnel, curled up against the damp wall.

He slowed again and approached carefully, he didn't want to startle the Doctor. He glanced at his watch again, time was running out.

It was as he got closer that Jack's concern rose to almost panic level.

The Doctor appeared to be in the throes of a dream or a hallucination.

Jack made the choice that stopping him from hurting himself was far more important than startling him, he reached out and touched the Doctor.

What he didn't expect was for the Time Lord to lash out at him screaming "Get away from me!"

Jack reeled back, taken aback by the force of the blow.

This allowed the Doctor time to scrabble up and start moving further into the tunnel and more dangerously so, onto the track.

Regaining his balance and his senses Jack followed, any thought of doing this gently put to one side.

"Doctor!" he yelled, his voice echoing.

He stepped onto the rails and nearly froze.

The sleepers were vibrating, which could only mean one thing...a train was coming.

"Doctor, you have to stop!" he shouted and kept moving.

He increased his pace and the Doctor's still moving figure came into view, and to Jack's horror he was still on the track.

The vibration under his feet were getting stronger and he could now hear the distant sound of the train approaching.

"To hell with this," he growled and sprinted.

* * *

The touch had been like fire and he'd lashed out at whatever was in the darkness. He couldn't let it get him, he had to get away, he had to stop it.

He picked himself up and he began running again, but his feet were sore and bleeding and the wound on his side was still slowing him down. Somewhere on the fringes of his senses he could hear a voice and it was calling his name...a trick, ignore it.

As he went forward he felt something under his feet, was the metal vibrating and what was that he could hear?

He stopped for a second and then he heard the sound of something behind him...it had found him.

"Leave me alone!" he cried, but his voice was drowned out by another sound as it barrelled into him.

* * *

Jack's ears were filled with the sound of the train's horn as it entered the tunnel. Desperation gave him speed and he rugby tackled the Doctor, twisting to get them both of the tracks.

As they hit the gravel the train was upon them and Jack's world shook as it flashed by, the draught flicking up dirt and loose gravel as it went. He tightened his hold on the Doctor as the drag from the train threatened to pluck him from his grasp.

The pair lay motionless few a few seconds and then the Doctor began to struggle.

Jack tightened his grip again and in a well practiced wrestling move he flipped the Doctor onto his back.

The Doctor was screaming incoherently at him and still struggling to get free.

"Stop this, you have to stop this!" Jack yelled.

The Doctor struggling lessened and then stopped completely and was replaced by body-wracking sobs.

"Have to stop, have to stop!" he wailed.

Jack straightened and pulled the Doctor into his arms. "Please Doctor, you have to stop this. Wherever you are, you have to come back, please," he said gently, feeling the Doctor's sobs vibrate against his chest.

He almost cried with delight when a weak voice said. "Jack?"

"Yeah," he replied and let go of the Doctor when he felt him tense against him.

The Doctor sat back and looked around with a mixture of curiosity and surprise. He suddenly tensed and was about to get up, when Jack pulled him down again.

He shot Jack a 'don't do that' glare. "I have to stop it," he said plainly, and tired to pull away from Jack's grip.

Jack tightened his hold again. "Hold your horse's, the only place you're going is back to the hospital."

The Doctor shook his head and wrenched Jack's hand from his arm.

"No Jack, I have to go, I have to stop it!"

Jack tensed at the threat in the Doctor's tone, but he grabbed hold of the Doctor's arm again, painfully tight this time as he saw the Doctor wince.

"Let me go Harkness," the Doctor growled.

"No, you're not making sense, what do you have to stop!" Jack yelled, anger making his voice sharp.

The Doctor glared at Jack. "The darkness, I have to stop the darkness."


	4. Chapter 4

In the void that was left by the destruction of the last planet White Coat had tested the sphere on, something moved.

The stars began to warp and stretch and a crack began to appear.

Something began to leach through, and the stars disappeared as red tendrils reached out and the galaxy rippled with the effect.

* * *

"You are not going anywhere except out of this tunnel and into a holding cell, if you keep this..."

Jack never finished his sentence as the Doctor suddenly cried out and doubled over in apparent agony and began to fall.

Jack was over in an instant and was shouting into his com as he caught the Doctor. "Ianto, where the hell are you!"

"We're with the rail police. Martha managed to persuade them to stop the trains, you've got an hour."

"Then get the hell down here, I need help!"

His attention was taken by the Doctor, who was coming round. He frowned when he saw the panicked look on the Doctor's face, and if he could believe it, the fear in his eyes.

The Doctor once again began to struggle, in what Jack could only see as a state of blind panic. He held firm and the Doctor eventually calmed, but didn't come round.

"What is going on in there?" Jack asked the still form in his arms, looking into blank eyes.

The shouts of what were no doubt the others echoed down the tunnel.

"About time!" Jack yelled as they came out of the gloom.

* * *

Martha stepped away from the bed and walked out of the med-unit and locked the door.

They had moved the Doctor to the Hub; it was the only way they could ensure he wouldn't escape again.

She climbed the steps and was met by three expectant faces.

"How is he?" Gwen asked.

"Surprisingly, he's okay, his healing system is kicking in."

"That's good, but how about?" Jack asked.

"It's not a healing coma. If I'm pushed, I'd say it's more like a panic induced catatonia. But it's only a guess, I don't know enough about Time Lord physiology."

"Could it have something to do with what he kept repeating...something about the darkness," Ianto said.

"Could he mean that Chaos thing?" Gwen ventured.

Jack sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "Maybe...I don't know, only he knows."

Martha sat down, weariness showing on her face. "I don't think he should be left alone. When he wakes up, he may not be lucid."

"I'll do it," Jack said. "I can handle him. Go home, I'll call you if I need you."

"Are you sure, he can be a handful," Ianto said.

"Don't worry about me, go, that's an order," Jack said and waved them off as he descended the stairs to the med- unit.

He unlocked the door, hoping to see the Doctor awake and alert, but was disappointed to find he hadn't moved.

He sat down in the chair next to the bed and took the Doctor's hand in his. "You have to come back to us, to me. How can I help you if I don't know what's wrong."

* * *

The crack in space widened and more of the red tendril leached through, widening the crack even more.

Shapes began to emerge from the gap, sleek fast deadly shapes that streaked away towards the other planets within the galaxy.

As it widened more, much larger shapes began emerging, silent shapes moving slowly as smaller shapes darted round them.

Finally a shape that almost blotted out the crack and dwarfed the others forced its way through the red tendrils and hung like some giant beast.

The red tendrils dragged themselves away from the crack and entwined themselves around the hulk and faded away.

The crack began to recede and fold in on itself and once more the galaxy rippled.

* * *

Jack had started to doze off, the quiet of the med-room and the steady breathing of the Doctor had lulled him into sleep.

He almost fell off the chair when the Doctor cried out again and began struggling against the restraints Jack had reluctantly fastened himself.

Jack stood and tried to hold him down.

There was look of pure agony on the Doctor's face, the kind you got when the pain went soul deep. This was more than a reaction to physical pain...this was something else.

He held the Doctor down as hard as he dared until he calmed once more. He was expecting him to lapse back into whatever nightmare he was in, but he didn't.

Instead his eyes flew open and he let out a gasp.

Troubled brown eyes met concern filled blue one and a trembling hand grabbed hold of one that was rock steady.

It seemed to Jack that the Doctor wanted to speak, but couldn't seem to find the words.

"What is it? What do you want to say?" he coaxed gently.

The Doctor tightened his grip on Jack's hand and Jack felt him trembling...what could spook the Doctor like this?

The Doctor let out a shuddering breath and looked directly at Jack.

"We have to go, we have to stop it...its coming."

"What's coming?" Jack said, fear tightening his gut.

"Death, destruction and the Darkness."


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor tried to get up, but found he couldn't. Someone had placed him in restraints. He looked over at Jack, who was still trying to fathom the meaning of the Doctor's words.

"Why the restraints?" he asked.

Jack started. "You did a runner from the hospital, care to explain?" he asked as he undid the restraints.

The Doctor sat up and flexed his wrists then rubbed his ankles. "I really don't have the time, I have to go."

He made to get off the bed, but was stopped by Jack.

"Not this time, explanation," Jack said in that quiet tone that the Doctor recognised as dangerous.

He really didn't have the time...literally. So what he was going to do next was painful but necessary.

* * *

Jack was surprised and suspicious when the Doctor capitulated and sat back down.

The Doctor let out a sigh, one that sounded like resignation and reached out and placed a hand on Jack's face.

"I'm sorry, I really am."

Jack felt something inside his mind...no, what was he doing. "Doctor, what are you doing?" he stammered and looked into the Doctor's eyes.

They were full of regret, sadness and something else...was that, but he slipped into unconsciousness before he could fathom it.

* * *

The Doctor caught Jack as he fell forward. "I really am sorry Jack, but you can't come with me this time. I may not survive this, and I can't let you risk your life for me, not this time. I hope you can forgive me."

He laid Jack on the now empty bed and without another glance he left the med-unit. He walked up the metal steps slowly, but there was no-one there.

Nodding to himself he focused on finding the TARDIS.

He could feel her, she was hurt and distraught, he had to find her and leave before Jack came round or someone else arrived.

* * *

The TARDIS had felt and heard her Time Lord's pain when the wolf had attacked. It ripped into her huge heart when she'd loosed the Bad Wolf, knowing the damage that could be done.

Now she was hurting and in pain and she was wracked with fear at what she'd felt through her Time Lord.

The Darkness was coming and war paved its way.

* * *

The Doctor felt a wave of panic coming from the TARDIS and hurried down the last few steps.

He shook his head at Jack's carelessness at not locking the doors as he was sans screwdriver and stepped inside. He stopped when he saw the scorched and peeling wood.

"Oh old girl, what have you done," he said softly and rested his forehead and hands against the wood. "You let it loose didn't you, the wolf. Thank you for doing that."

The TARDIS trembled under him.

_'It's coming_,' she projected.

_'You feel it too. Then we have to stop it.'_

_'You may die.'_

_'Yes I could, but what choice do I have, there's no-one left but me_.'

_'There is Jack_," she replied

_'Not this time, I go alone_.'

The TARDIS said nothing in reply and the Doctor assumed she was hurting too much to talk. He opened the door and stepped inside.

He quickly changed and thanked Janis that he'd left his coat on the TARDIS.

* * *

The smell of burnt circuits and charred wood caught in his throat when he re-entered the consol room. He had work to do before he could leave and he knew Jack wouldn't be out for long.

"Let's get us into the Vortex," he said and disappeared under the console and seconds later the familiar and welcoming sound of the ancient engines filled the air.

He emerged from underneath and surveyed the damage. "I need you fighting fit old girl, we have hard times ahead. How about we land somewhere nice and quiet, before the storm?

He twisted a few dials and the subtle change in the engines told him they had changed course. Smiling he sat back and tried not to think of things past, or of what was to come.

The familiar thump told him they had landed...he frowned, that was too quick for where he'd intended to land. He went to turn on the view screen but it sparked at him and smoke curled from fried circuits.

"Oh well, I'll just have to go and see where we are," he said.

He grabbed his coat and made a mental note to ensure that Janis got the coat back if something happened to him.

He took one more glance at the console as he stepped out and when he turned back he stared in dismay.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack was angry, no he was more than angry, he was furious. In fact he was beyond furious, not just at the Doctor but at himself.

He'd come round and knew straight away what had happened...the Doctor had used a basic psychic trick, one that he should have seen coming.

It was then that he felt something akin to a finger tapping him on the shoulder. It felt familiar, felt more like a feeling than a thought...have no fear.

Now he was standing staring at the Doctor, Gwen and Ianto at his side and Martha just behind.

He didn't move when the Doctor whirled and went to go back inside the TARDIS, and wasn't shocked when the door slammed in the Doctor's face.

* * *

The Doctor stared at the quartet and a wave of panic went through him and he whirled round and went to go back inside.

He reeled back when the door slammed in his face.

"What are you doing, open the door!" he yelled.

'_No,_' the TARDIS replied.

"No, what do you mean no. Open this door, I order you!"

'_No_,' the TARDIS said again. _'You must not go alone_.'

The Doctor kicked the door in frustration and whirled round to face the others.

* * *

"Doctor," Jack said quietly, trying to keep his temper under control.

The Doctor voice was like whiplash. "What have you done to her, open the door, now!"

Now Jack did lose his cool and he strode over to the Doctor and grabbed the lapels of his coat.

"You arrogant, stupid, self-centred, ignorant...what the hell were you thinking!" he yelled and shook the Doctor.

The Doctor's startled expression was enough to take the edge of his temper. He let go of the Doctor, but didn't move away, staying face to face.

"Jack, I..." the Doctor began, but stopped and looked away, then lowered his head.

Jack knew that movement, the one that showed he knew he was wrong. He let his temper cool before speaking.

"I know why you did it, but it's my choice. Let me make it."

* * *

The Doctor looked up and went to reply but he was hit by a wave of fear, panic and despair and pain.

He reeled with the sudden agony, his body on fire with it and his mind shut down to protect itself.

* * *

The planet and its inhabitants cried out in fear and panic and pain, and called for a saviour, but all it received was death.

There was a brief flash and a planet that once teemed with life winked out and the hulk that had hovered overhead moved on.

* * *

The world came back to the Doctor in a rush of raw nerves and what felt like a thousand drums inside his head. He chanced opening his eyes and the lighting and the hum told him he was back on the TARDIS.

"Now you open the doors," he groaned.

"You're lucky she didn't dump your ass into the Vortex."

The Doctor sat up and saw Jack standing in the shadows of the near-dark med-bay.

"So, she's siding with you," he said, with just a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Looks like it," Jack said, patting the wall. "Sensible girl, unlike her driver."

Jack stepped out of the shadows and the lights brightened, causing the Doctor to wince.

Jack was pleased to see the Doctor looked suitably chastened.

"You're right, I'm sorry Jack. I wasn't thinking straight. I should have trusted you."

"Yes, you should. Now I think explanations are due."

Even as he was telling Jack what he'd felt, he could hear the TARDIS in his mind.

_'Be truthful_,' she scolded.

_'I can't, I really can't,' _he retorted.

_'He cares for you.'_

_'That's why I can't'_

_'You are foolish, but I will not stop you_,' she said and fell silent.

* * *

"So, we going to kick some bad guy ass and be back in time for cocktails," Jack grinned.

The Doctor said nothing as he adjusted a calibrator.

The console pinged at him. "Ah, here we are, the Chadra System."

"And this is where the psychic distress call came from?" Jack said from the other side of the console, watching the Doctor carefully.

He was sure there was something the Doctor was hiding, something important. He still hadn't got an explanation about what the Doctor had said about the darkness.

"Yes, the fifth planet, the Chadran home world..."

The Doctor stopped and frowned.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"Something's wrong, very wrong," the Doctor said.

He pulled the view screen round, but it still refused to work and he smacked the side of it in frustration.

Jack followed him as he walked round the console and down the ramp, and stopped outside the doors.

"Doctor, what's wrong?"

The Doctor stared at the doors, unable to touch them, suddenly nervous, hoping that it was only his fears that were plaguing him.

He grabbed hold of the doors and pulled them back.

"No," he said in a horrified whisper.

Jack moved to stand next to the Doctor and looked outside. "What's wrong?"

"The Chadran home world, it's gone."


	7. Chapter 7

"Doctor?" Jack asked when the silence had become uncomfortable and there was no movement from his friend.

When the Doctor did finally speak, it was in an almost inaudible whisper.

"Ten billion people, ten billion."

Then he was quiet again, but Jack could see the anger as every inch of him was trembling.

"Are you sure? The TARDIS could be off."

That was a mistake.

The Doctor rounded on Jack, eyes blazing with barely controlled fury.

"Sure, am I sure?" he spat.

He grabbed hold of Jack and hauled him up the ramp, and virtually shoved his face into the scanner.

"Chadra System, sixteen planets. Cirrus, the fourth planet, largest in the system, two moons, population ten billion men, women and children. It was here when the TARDIS wouldn't let me in, now it isn't."

Jack knew better than to push the Doctor away, instead, he waited for the Time Lord to stop trembling, and only spoke when the Doctor walked away.

"If it's been destroyed, there'd be debris, the moons would be gone, or out of orbit, but they're still here."

He still didn't move, but heard the Doctor let out a long breath.

* * *

"Possibly," the Doctor said and moved once more to stand by the console. "But there's no debris, no sign of anything that could cause a planet to just disappear. It's just gone, vanished, just like..." he trailed off.

Jack knew what he was thinking. "No Doctor, they're gone, you know it."

"You're right, but there must be something, it can't..." he stopped again.

This time Jack knew there was something the Doctor wasn't telling, and this time he said something, or tried to, but the TARDIS suddenly lurched, throwing both of them to the floor.

"The doors!" Jack yelled as the TARDIS lurched again.

* * *

The Doctor grabbed hold of the nearest strut as the TARDIS lurched again. He heard Jack's yell and using the strut to steady himself, he launched himself down the ramp.

He slammed the door and landed heavily on the metal grating.

Then he felt it again, that gnawing fear that had...no still plagued him...a nameless darkness, gnawing at his soul.

He fought it back, feeling it recede and stood up.

Without warning it hit again...no this was something different, something he had no defences against.

It blasted through his barriers, ripped through his mind and left his psyche screaming in fear.

He fell to his knees and his own scream matched that of his mind.

* * *

Jack had been surprised when the Doctor had flung himself at the doors, but he wasn't prepared for the Doctor to fall to his knees, grab his head and scream in pure agony and terror.

He couldn't move while the TARDIS was still lurching, but as soon as it stopped he was at the Doctor's side, but lost as to what he should do.

The Doctor's cries were deafening but he closed his ears to them and wrapped his arms around his friend.

"Hey it's okay, it's okay, come back, it's okay," he whispered.

Concern ran through him when the Doctor's breath hitched and he didn't take another breath

"Doc?" he said, hoping to elicit a rebuke over the shortening of his name, but it had no effect, and he began to worry.

He sighed, all he could do was wait, so he sat back, arms wrapped round the Doctor and waited. .

* * *

He could hear and feel ten billion screams inside his head, he could hear the pleas of the dying. But the all pervading darkness filled his mind and he screamed himself as it touched his very core.

"What are you!" he cried, but the darkness was as silent as the screams were loud.

"Why won't you speak to me? Tell me what you are?"

Then as if someone had thrown a switch, the screaming stopped and there was nothing but the silence and the darkness and the echoes of a ten billion people screaming.

He realised he'd stopped breathing and inhaled sharply, chasing the echoes away as he exhaled.

* * *

Jack had become increasingly concerned when the Doctor had become unresponsive and even more so when he'd stopped breathing. He was about to consider moving him to the med-bay when the Doctor took a deep shuddering breath.

A few seconds later he opened his eyes and Jack smiled at him. "Hey, welcome back, where did you go?"

The Doctor blinked and looked at him, and Jack could see the indecision on the Doctor's face.

"It okay if you don't want to tell me," he said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

He let go of the Doctor and began to move away, when the Doctor caught hold of his arm.

"No Jack, I want to," he said quietly.

The TARDIS rumbled as if in approval.

_'Tell him' _she said _'Tell him everything_.'

* * *

Jack's coffee sat untouched as he watched the Doctor.

They'd been in the kitchen for what seemed forever, sitting in silence, waiting for one of them to start the conversation.

"So, where do you want me to start?" the Doctor said suddenly.

Jack hadn't expected the Doctor to speak first, so didn't have a reply planned. "Wherever, how about where the hell did that wolf come from and what the hell was that Chaos and what has it to do with what's happening to you."

The Doctor hesitated but then began and didn't stop.

"The Wolf, that was the TARDIS, well part of the TARDIS, the part you really don't want to mess with, and quite frankly neither do I. She had to do it, she had to give me a chance to fight the Chaos."

The TARDIS projected an apology into his mind and promised never to do it again.

The Doctor smiled. "It's okay old girl, you did what you had to do."

Jack cleared his throat. "The Chaos?"

The Doctor sat back in his chair. "It was old, very old, a relic from the Dark Times. My people tried to destroy a long time ago, but they appeared to have failed."

"Is it dead?"

"I really don't know, but its small fry compared to what I felt."

Jack tensed, here it comes, he thought.

"Something is coming Jack, and war is it's pre-cursor. Not just a war between two races, it's a war between two universes. The Darkness is coming Jack, and I don't know if I can stop it."

* * *

The General looked on in dismay at the steady stream of refugees that flowed through the already over-crowded city gates.

The rumours of invaders had reached them a few hours ago. Now the rumour for real.

Then he saw them, the sleek shapes appearing from the sky.

He turned to his second-in command. "Send out a distress signal, tell them we are under attack."

He turned back to the sleek shapes that were now beginning to land. He couldn't see who the enemy were, but he could hear the cries of the people who were not yet in the city.

"Close the gates!" he ordered and closed his ears to the cries and screams of those left outside.

"The stars help us, let there be a saviour."


	8. Chapter 8

Silence had once again fallen between the two as one digested the words the other had spoken.

Jack took a deep breath before speaking. "So, something unstoppable, where do we start?"

The Doctor blinked and started at Jack. "Where do we start? Didn't you hear what I said? I said I don't think I can stop. I don't even know what it is yet, it's just darkness."

"Like that's ever stopped you. Since when has the impossible stopped you?"

The Doctor stood up suddenly and uttered words that Jack thought he would never hear.

"What if I don't want to?"

"Of course you want to, you always want to. Why wouldn't you?" Jack replied, but there was doubt gnawing at him as he said it.

"What if it's meant to be? What if I'm interfering in a fixed event and I can't interfere?"

Jack watched as he began pacing the kitchen, every muscle tensed. "It can't be a fixed event, I'd know if there was an inter-universe war."

The Doctor stopped pacing and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe, possibly, it's just I can't see it, whatever it is and that scares me Jack."

Jack shifted in his seat. That was a combination of words he never wanted to hear from the Time Lord.

"Well it must be something, it can't just be darkness?"

The Doctor went to speak but an alarm suddenly rang out.

"That's a distress signal!" he said and dashed out of the kitchen, followed by Jack a few seconds later.

* * *

The Doctor danced round the console, pulling levers and throwing signals.

"Cotrassi, outer most planet in the Chadra system, message says they're under attack, quite a coincidence, don't you think?"

Jack could only nod in agreement as the TARDIS lurched as it changed direction.

The TARDIS landed and the door opened a few seconds later.

"We should be right outside Beltrassa, the capitol," the Doctor said as he stepped out.

He had his back turned to the outside, so he couldn't see his surroundings. He did however smell something that definitely didn't smell like wood smoke.

He turned slowly and was confronted by a scene of devastation.

* * *

That had been an hour ago, a very long hour.

Jack was following the Doctor, who was picking his way across destroyed or half-destroyed buildings.

He was scanning the rubble with his sonic and muttering to himself.

"Anything?" Jack asked as the Doctor stopped on a pile of rubble.

"Nothing, no signs of radiation, neutron or morphic residue, nothing. It's like the whole city just fell down."

"What about the people?" Jack said picking up a piece of debris and finding it was a plate of some kind.

The Doctor swept the sonic across the rubble. "Again, nothing, it's like they never existed. What could do that?" he said, kicking at the rubble.

Jack walked further up the ruined building and stopped. "Maybe that did," he said.

The Doctor walked the few paces and joined Jack, looking at where he was pointing.

Below, in a crater that might have once been a building, it sat, still sleek but smoking.

"Looks like they put up a fight," Jack said.

The Doctor huffed out a breath of air in response and began climbing down the side of the crater.

"No bothering to scan for signs of the enemy then," Jack said and carefully began his own descent.

"Oh you are beautiful, deadly but beautiful," the Doctor was saying as Jack joined him.

He was running his hand over its smooth black surface.

"Err, do you think you should be doing that?" Jack asked, keeping a wary eye on the Doctor and the sleek shape.

"Hmm," the Doctor said, but carried on doing the same thing.

"The touchy thing, not a good idea."

"Nah its okay, I think it's dead. I really would like to get inside. Can't tell who it belongs to, no markings."

Jack walked round the ship and back to the Doctor. "No door, no seams either, it's some piece of work. You don't recognise it at all?"

The Doctor shook his head. "There must be a do..."

He was cut off by falling through an opening that had suddenly appeared under his hand.

Jack reached for him but missed by a couple of inches and when he grabbed for him again.

He nearly lost a hand as the doorway disappeared.

"Doctor!" he cried, not knowing if the Doctor could hear him. He was relieved when he heard the Doctor's voice, muffled but there.

"I'm okay, but there doesn't seem to be a door this side either. I'll just go and see if there's a flight deck or something."

"No Doctor!" Jack yelled, but only receding footsteps replied. "Don't," he said.

* * *

The Doctor moved away from where the door had been a few moments ago and moved further into the ship.

The walls were bare, apart from the odd panel of blinking lights and the occasional symbols, which the Doctor didn't recognise.

As he moved towards what he hoped was the flight deck that feeling began to rise again. He fought it down and finally found what looked like a flight deck.

"Looks fairly standard, there must be a button for a door."

He was about to take a wild guess when the whole flight deck shuddered...the ship was powering up!

* * *

Jack had been searching for the door himself when the whole ship shuddered and the sound of engines firing up...the ship was powering up!

He stumbled back as dust began to rise from underneath the sleek shape and it began to rise.

It was taking off and taking the Doctor with it!


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor started when the floor rumbled beneath him.

"That sounds too much like an engine," he said.

The lights on the panels in front of him began to flicker and soon began to flash.

"This is not good, not good at all," he muttered. He swayed when the floor tilted slightly...it was taking off.

"Definitely not good," he said.

He scanned the flashing panels. "There must be an off switch."

After several seconds of guesses and no results, he realised there was only one option left. He crossed every finger and toe and kicked the panel nearest to him. Sparks showered him and he was tipped off his feet as the ship lurched sideways.

Whatever engine it had whined in protest. He'd just righted himself when the interior was plunged into darkness, with only the sparks as illumination.

"Not good," he muttered and tried to steady himself in the dark.

The ship lurched again and this time it didn't stop. It tilted sideways and he was thrown against the wall. As his hand hit the wall, he felt a tingling sensation wash over his body.

"Oh this is so not good," he said as he faded in the haze of a trans-mat.

* * *

Jack watched helplessly as the ship rose into the air...he was losing the Doctor again. He jumped when the engine seemed to falter and the ship lurched to one side.

He followed its path as it righted itself and gained more height.

Then it lurched again, but instead of righting itself it flipped on its side and began a graceful arc towards the city.

He began running, trying to keep an eye on the ship and an eye on the rubble as he tried to keep up with its descent.

Don't crash, don't crash he kept repeating to himself as he clambered over ruined buildings and shattered roads.

The ship suddenly swerved and the engine finally stopped, and its controlled descent turned into a dangerous free-fall.

* * *

The Doctor shuddered as the trans-mat enveloped him. Trans-mats in his mind were never a good thing, especially ones where he didn't know the destination. He guessed it was an automated emergency trans-mat and it could be going anywhere. But anywhere was better than being mangled of crispy fried.

I wonder if I'll meet the builders of this ship he wondered as a new surrounding coalesced around him.

He stepped away from the beam and into semi-darkness. "Oh joy, another dark corridor," he muttered as he made his way down it.

Apart from his own footsteps there appeared to be no signs of life, perhaps he was in the lower decks, and what was it with the semi-dark corridors.

He stopped when he heard something up ahead and he pressed himself into the shadows as the sound of boots marching filled the corridor.

He held his breath as the owners of the boots emerged from the semi-dark and he had to stop himself from gasping when he felt that feeling again. It writhed like snakes in his mind as the figure lumbered by.

It was clad in armour, its face hidden by a face plate and it seemed to move with a fluidity that belied its size.

He flattened against the metal wall a much as he could until the figure had passed. He shook his head and tried to clear the snakes from his mind. When he'd looked at the figure it was like looking at a moving nothing, a black darkness.

Then he felt, the all pervading darkness, the floor, the wall, in fact the whole place vibrated with it.

He was right inside the viper's nest.

* * *

Jack had never run so fast as he saw the ship dip below the ruins of a large building and the sounds of metal twisting filled the air. He was relieved when there was no explosion, but there was smoke.

He clambered over the rubble of the building to find the ship had landed. It was still on its side and there was a huge gash running the length of the body and in a twist of ironic fate, a door had appeared.

"Doctor!" he called as he approached, hoping to see him appear.

When he wasn't forthcoming, he became concerned and he stepped inside the door.

The smell of smoke assailed him and the taste of burnt wire burnt his throat. The interior was dark except for the occasional spark.

"Doctor?" he called as he walked into the darkness.

There was no reply... no sound of movement as he searched...the Doctor was nowhere.

He stepped out of the ruined vessel and looked round, looking for any sign of the Doctor.

"Doctor!" he yelled, but only his voice echoed back at him.

The Doctor was gone and Jack had no idea where to start looking for him.

* * *

The Doctor moved more cautiously down the corridor. Somehow and he didn't know how, he must have moved up another level, because he was seeing more and more of the moving nothings.

His head was pounding with the feeling of non-existence, like reality itself was warped and distorted.

He saw a light up ahead and for want of nowhere else to go he moved towards its. He moved slowly, warily, trying to remain in what was left of the shadows.

Up ahead he could see what looked like massed ranks of moving nothing.

He stopped on the edge of the light, the pain in his head was now almost crippling. The feeling of complete and utter darkness returned with such force that it became physical pain, and he cried out.

The sound of massed boots turning filled the air, but it wasn't that that caused the Doctor to black out. It was the tide of darkness that flooded his mind.

So he never felt himself being dragged through the ranks of moving nothing and towards a vast expanse of utter black.


	10. Chapter 10

Jack leant against what was left of a section of the city wall. He'd spent the last three hours scouring the ruined city for the Doctor.

There was no sign of him; not a flash of that tan coat. If he'd escaped from the ship, he sure wasn't in the city anymore.

He looked out at the empty countryside that seemed to stretch for miles. If the Doctor was out there, he would be impossible to find.

Then it struck him. In his panic to find the Doctor, he'd forgotten he had the best blood hound in the universe.

He had never been more pleased to see that blue wooden box, and his heart filled with hope as he stepped inside.

"Hello again old girl," he said. There was rumble under his feet and a feeling of worry washed over him.

"I know, I'm sure you can find him," he replied.

The TARDIS rumbled again, and this time a wave of apprehension went through him as the time rotor began to move.

"Whoa girl!" Jack exclaimed as he fell against the railing. A wave panic and urgency rushed through him.

He clambered up the ramp, grabbed hold of the console and managed to swivel the view screen towards him.

He had to look twice.

They weren't on the planet anymore. In fact he hadn't got a clue as to where they were, because it was pitch black.

"Still broken then, guess I'll have to go outside."

The TARDIS rumbled again. Ignoring it, he walked down the ramp and went to open the door, but found it wouldn't budge.

Again anxiety ran through him, the TARDIS was intent on him not leaving.

"Come on sweetheart, he could be in trouble out there."

Jack tried the door again but it still wouldn't open. This time a wave of fear washed over him.

Was the TARDIS afraid?

"Come on, open the door, then I can find him."

He tried the door again, this time it opened and he stepped outside. He stopped, the view screen wasn't broken; it was pitch black outside.

He went to step back inside the TARDIS, but the door slammed on him and wouldn't open when he tried it.

He shrugged his shoulders, turned around and walked into the dark.

* * *

The Doctor felt like a herd of Sartilan Karvoks had run through his head; which meant it hurt, considering Karvoks were twice the size of elephants and three times as heavy.

He groaned and tried to sit up, but once again he found himself restrained. He could feel the metal collar dig into his skin. He managed to get into an awkward half-sitting, half-lying position against what he hoped was a wall.

He didn't bother looking for a door. It was once again too black to see anything. Panic began to rise as his mind worked overtime. He fought it down as it wouldn't help; he needed to remain calm.

He took in a few deep breaths, telling himself it was just dark and there was nothing out there.

Then he felt it...he was no longer alone.

"I hope it's not going to be the silent treatment again, that really is annoying," he said into the darkness.

He was surprised when this time he actually got a reply.

"You are different to the others, your mind is stronger than theirs. What manner of creature are you?"

The voice was more like a whisper as it faded in and out, like a radio that kept losing its signal.

"Oh, I'm nothing special," he said as he tried to pinpoint where the voice was coming from.

"That is a lie, those that I have examined do not have two hearts, nor could they resist me as you have."

"Well that would explain the headache," he said in a casual tone.

He however felt less than casual. The word examined left him with unpleasant thoughts. He felt very much like an unfortunate frog in a jar.

"Yes, you resisted well, but physical pain is the same, no matter the species. You are too different to be an anomaly of genetics. You will make an interesting shade."

The Doctor didn't like that last part, it smacked of conversion. "Ah, well, that's very nice, but black is so not my colour."

"Do you think you have a choice, all things will become one with the darkness. You will become one with the darkness."

"Ah, right, now is that darkness with a capital D, because I'm very fussy when it comes to sharing."

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably, as that feeling of overwhelming dark flooded into his mind again. This time it was more powerful. It split apart his defences, and darkness flooded into the only light that was flickering in his mind, snuffing it out.

Now he knew only the darkness and it was howling at him.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack wished he'd had the talent of foresight, as he was dragged down the corridor by what he could only describe as walking armoured shadows.

He thought he was being stealthy, avoiding the walking shadows as he approached the light at the end of a corridor. He had however forgotten to look behind him, and it was too late to react when an armoured hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Now he was being dragged towards something impossible; something that looked suspiciously like a small black hole.

The armoured figure dragging him stopped and seemed to freeze. Unfortunately, it still had its hand clamped on Jack's shoulder.

He looked up at the impossible black hole and narrowed his eyes. Was someone coming out of it, another impossibility?

He jumped when the massed ranks of figures around him moved as one. Were they standing to attention?

A sudden sense of foreboding filled Jack as the something finally stepped out of the darkness. It washed away when he saw who it was.

"Doctor, you're okay, can you tell them I wasn't being sneaky."

The Doctor turned at the sound of Jack's voice, and began walking down the steps.

Jack smiled, but his smile faltered as the Doctor came closer.

His whole demeanour was wrong; the way he held himself. There was a swagger to it and not his 'I'm here, don't worry,' swagger. This swagger seemed wrong, out of kilter with the Doctor.

Jack tensed as the Doctor stopped in front of him, and raised a hand.

The figure holding Jack lifted him off his feet, so that his and the Doctor's eyes were level.

There was a glint in the Doctor's eyes that Jack didn't like. It felt malevolent and it felt like he was looking into the abyss.

"Who or what are you to talk to me?" the Doctor hissed.

Jack flinched when the Doctor leant in, his face only inches from his. Now as he stared into the Doctor's eyes he could see it; a black nothing swirling like some evil storm.

Was this the darkness that he was afraid of?

"This one shall become one, take him to the chamber, do not let him escape."

The figures around Jack stiffened and began dragging Jack away. He didn't resist, what was the point. Something had happened to the Doctor. Any hope drained away as he watched the Doctor turn his back on him, and disappear into the massed ranks.

He lost sight of the Doctor and the others when he was dragged round a corner, back into the darkness of the corridor.

The figure dragging him stopped suddenly. Without warning it began to convulse and let go of Jack, who was too surprised to move.

Then he was dragged back into the shadows.

Whoever it was didn't stop until they arrived at a dimly lit small room.

Jack was slammed against a wall, before being spun round. He froze when a blade was thrust into his face, along with a blinding light.

"Who the hell are you and speak true or I'll gut you right here!"


	12. Chapter 12

Jack's temper flared and he reached out beyond the light. He grabbed hold of the wrist that was holding the blade and twisted.

He smiled grimly as he elicited a gasp of pain from the holder. The blade clattered to the floor and skittered away into the dark. Without hesitation he pushed the figure away and pounced, using his full weight to knock and pin the figure down.

He was about to land a hefty blow, when he was dragged off the figure by several pairs of hands and a voice bellowed.

"What is going on here? A soldier does not threaten a civilian!"

Jack was spun round and faced a man in a uniform and an angry expression.

Jack's assailant snapped to attention. "He's no civilian, he fights like soldier, he's one of them sir!"

The other man looked at Jack, took in his dishevelled state. "Does he look like one of them," the man said, and grabbed hold of Jack and pulled his head down.

"There are no marks. He's not one of them."

The man let go of Jack and gestured for Jack to be released. "My apologies, my troops are a little on edge. Now, who are you and what are you doing on this god forsaken vessel?"

* * *

Jack straightened his clothes and stood straight. "My name is Captain Jack Harkness, and I was looking for my friend...but I was too late."

"He's been converted?"

"I don't know. He didn't look any different."

"Did he have marks on the back of his neck?"

Jack closed his eyes for a second as the picture of the Doctor disappearing into the massed ranks flashed through his mind.

"No, wait, he didn't. But he wasn't himself."

The man stiffened. "Did the others show him respect, defer to him, and take orders from him?"

Jack frowned. "Yes, they did."

There was a collective murmur and then there was quiet.

"It has its general. Then war is coming," the man said. "My name is Major Lissar and your friend is no more."

* * *

The Doctor or what had once been the Doctor climbed the steps and stood before the black void.

"We are nearly ready my Lord. The army has grown by six billion."

There was shift in the swirling of the vortex and once again a voice spoke in an echo of a whisper.

"Why only six billion, there were ten billion on that world."

The Doctor swallowed nervously before answering. "There were those who were too young and too old, they were of no use as soldiers. I set them to work in the mines instead."

There was silence again as the vortex shifted again, as if it was considering the Doctor's answer.

"Well decided my general, you learn swiftly. There is a need, they die so quickly. Now, what news of those that have escaped my grasp and have entered this universe?"

The Doctor hesitated again. "They still elude me."

The vortex shifted again and the Doctor fell to his knees as pain filled his mind.

"You will find them, or I will need to find myself a new general," the voice hissed.

Then it was gone and the black void stopped swirling.

The Doctor crawled away and used a nearby strut to haul himself up. With a snarl he shook himself and stalked down the steps.

He grabbed one of the people who were standing to one side watching. They were the ones his Lord had designated as his staff and were one with his Lord, as was he.

"Find them. I don't care how many of the prisoners you have to torture. One of them knows where they are. If you don't I will kill you myself."

* * *

Jack wanted answers, but it didn't look like he was going to get any, not yet.

He was being bustled along another corridor. He could feel a slight slope. They were going deeper into the bowels of the ship.

Suddenly the corridor became a dead end.

Jack was about to ask a question, when a hole appeared in the wall. He was bundled through, into another corridor.

"Everyone in, then let's leave this cursed place," Major Lissar ordered.

As Jack was hustled along the corridor, he felt the thrum of power under his feet.

"You have a shuttle?" he said, raising his voice above the increasing noise.

"No, not really," the Major replied. "Brace yourself."

The vibration increased, and the noise became unbearable. Jack covered his ears, he felt like his bones were shaking with the vibrations.

Then there was a flash of light and the darkness of the corridor disappeared.

When the light faded, Jack found he wasn't in darkness anymore.

* * *

The view would have been spectacular, well it would have been.

The valley Jack was looking down into was swarming with soldiers and sleek battle craft.

Jack had seen armies before, alien and human, but this army was like nothing he'd seen.

Major Lissar noticed Jack's expression. "You are looking at what remains of my universe. Those are the remnants of the armies of many races. It's what stands between this universe and the destroyer of ours. Come Captain, I have something to show you."

Jack felt decidedly uncomfortable as he walked through the ranks of soldiers. He could feel thousands of pairs of eyes on him as they walked.

"Ignore them Captain, they are only curious. You are the first inhabitant of this universe that they have seen," the Major said.

Jack was glad of the walls of the building, and only relaxed when the door was closed.

He found himself in what looked like any other war room. There was a central table, with a holographic map instead of a paper one.

He stepped up to it.

He could see it was a map of star systems. One was flashing red, whilst the others were blue.

"As you can see, that system has already fallen. I do not know what you call it."

"The Chadra system, or that's what the Doctor, my friend called it. Ten billion people on the home world."

"I'm sorry, but those people are gone now. They have either been converted into soldiers, like those on the ship, or they are slaves in the mines back in my universe."

Jack looked up at the mention of slaves. "Slaves, why would they need slaves?"

"Our enemy, we call it the Darkness, for want of a better name needs certain minerals to power its fleet. But the minerals are only found on a world that has toxic levels of radiation, hence the need for a constant supply of slaves. They send only the young, the old and those too weak to become soldiers."

Jack took in a breath. "He wouldn't...my friend, he wouldn't allow it."

The Major moved round the table and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Captain, your friend is no more, well what was all that was good in him. That is what the Darkness does, it finds a person's deepest desire and uses that to tempt them."

Jack looked at the Major. "Not my friend, there's nothing he wants...oh."

The Major saw the look of realisation come over Jack's face. "No-one can resist the Darkness. It would corrupt and tempt the most innocent or strongest of souls."

* * *

The Doctor or what had once been the Doctor stared out at the vast expanse of stars. He knew the names of every one, every planet and all the creatures that inhabited them.

Soon his Lord would know them too. Soon his Lord would rule over them and he would gain his reward.

A picture of what he most desired flashed through his mind. The thing he desired most, the girl with the golden hair. The thing his Lord had promised in return for his loyalty and obedience.

He frowned as he struggled to remember her name...yes, her name was Rose.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack sat down heavily on the small cot. His thoughts were lost in a pit of despair. How could it happen? How could the Doctor let himself be tempted?

He had a pretty good idea what this Darkness had offered him. He knew it was a lie; nothing would bring her back.

He knew that if the Doctor had been in his right mind, he would have seen that too. Then again, when it came to certain Miss Tyler, the Doctor was never right-minded.

Sighing he lay down, closed his eyes and was lost to the sleep born of exhaustion.

* * *

The Doctor had felt him, the fixed point. Oh how he wanted to snuff him out like a candle. But his Lord had forbidden it, but that didn't mean he couldn't toy with him.

He let thoughts of what he was going to do. He never noticed the wide berth the armoured soldiers gave him.

He found himself at the cell quicker than expected. He placed a palm against the panel on the wall and the door hissed open. He expected to see the prisoner, but all he found was an empty cell.

With a hiss of anger, he turned on his heels and back into the corridor. He grabbed the nearest soldier, and ripped off its visor.

"Where is the prisoner!" he bellowed into the frightened face of the soldier.

"Prisoner, we received no prisoner sir," the soldier stammered.

The Doctor growled and clamped a hand to the soldier's neck and pulled.

The soldier let out a scream and was dead before he crashed to the floor.

The Doctor gave the small blood covered device a contemptuous glare and threw it away. With a snarl he turned and walked away, not giving the corpse a second thought.

However as he approached the steps of the dais, his anger and confidence faltered. His Lord would be displeased, no more than displeased.

Trembling slightly he climbed the steps and approached the swirling vortex.

"What is it?" the whispering voice spoke.

"My Lord, there is a problem."

The vortex stopped moving. "A problem?"

The Doctor swallowed. "A prisoner has been mislaid."

There was silence, but the vortex began swirling faster. "What prisoner?"

The Doctor went to answer but found his mouth had dried from nerves.

"What prisoner?" the voice repeated, a definite annoyed edge to it.

"The one who was to be my second-in-command," the Doctor eventually said.

* * *

The pain when he woke up was only just bearable, and he found he was at the bottom of the steps.

Then the voice spoke again. "You can sense him, can you not? Is he not one board?"

"No, my Lord," the Doctor said as he got to his feet.

"Then there is only one place he can be. He is with the enemy."

The voice stopped and there was a long silence. "Tell me, how do you sense him?"

The Doctor sighed, glad that his Lord had chosen not to ignore him. "He is a fixed point in time, my Lord. Time flows round him, and I sense the disturbance more that his presence."

"Then perhaps we can use that to find him and our enemy."

The Doctor thought for a moment before replying; he had to gauge his answer carefully.

"My Lord, I fear I cannot sense him whilst within this vessel. Your power overwhelms mine and all I sense is you, my Lord."

The vortex swirled again. "Very well, I will allow you to leave my presence. Find him and bring him back to me."

The Doctor lowered his head. "As you wish, my Lord."

"You have failed me once, do not fail me again. I shall not be as forgiving, a promise can be broken. Now, leave me."

The Doctor backed away, his Lord's words about a promise that can be broken ringing in his ears. He would find him, then he could win this war and the golden haired girl would be his.

* * *

Jack woke with a start, not quite sure where he was for a few moments. Then he heard the sound of orders being barked, they sounded the same, no matter what language they were in.

Shaking his head, he got up, splashed his face with water and stepped out of the tent.

It was dark; he must have been more tired that he thought. He walked past rows of tents and fires that were now glowing gently. This may have been an alien world, and the soldiers may have been from races he didn't even recognise, but it still had the feeling of the night before war.

But this war would be different, it would be, and he still couldn't wrap his head around it. This would be a war between universes, and his friend was at the head of the invaders.

He wanted to find the Major and see if he could help. He knew he was the only one who could get close to the Doctor, should get close to the Doctor.

If he ever found the Doctor, to get close to him.

He spotted the building he'd last seen the Major in and hurried over.

The building was quiet, except for the soldiers that were manning what looked like radar screen.

Jack could hear the soft murmur of voices and headed towards them.

The door was open slightly. He was about to knock, when he heard something he didn't like.

"We have only one option, we have to send another assassin. We cannot allow this one to reach his full potential."

That was Major Lissar's voice.

"What makes this one so different to the others? They all burn out after a few weeks."

"Because I think this one is special, different. Our spies have reported that he survived a punishment from it. None of the others did."

There was a murmur and then there was silence for a few moments.

"If you think that is the only way, then that it what we must do. The problem is, who do we ask to sacrifice themselves?"

* * *

Jack stepped into the room. "If anyone's going to kill him, it'll be me."

The group of uniformed people turned as one, surprise etched on their faces. All except Major Lissar.

"Ah Captain Harkness."

Jack cut across him, his voice low and quiet, dangerous. "When were you going to tell me that you were planning to murder my friend?"

"Murder, it would be an execution," one of the others said.

Jack moved across the room and faced the person who had spoken. He had to stare up into the figure's eyes, as it towered over him by a good two feet.

"For what crime?" he hissed.

The other figure stared back, its yellow eyes narrowed and its pupils contracted. "He has joined with the enemy."

Jack straightened to his full height. "And that's a crime? Tell me something, you're a soldier, yes?"

He figure nodded.

"Then whatever world you served must have had articles of war?"

"All of us, we are not uncivilised."

"Good, then what do your articles of war say about treatment of those who maybe mentally or emotionally unwell?"

"We do not execute those that are unfit, but offer help."

"Right, then listen to me. My friend and he is my friend has been unwell for some time now. I don't know what you would class as unfit, but in this universe, he would be classed as unfit."

"How do we know that you are not lying, just to save your friend?"

Jack turned to Major Lissar. "My friend is unwell. He has suffered a lot of mistreatment at the hands of another. This has lead to him becoming unstable. He was in the process of being treated when all of this occurred."

Major Lissar looked at Jack. "You are a soldier. Do you swear in the name of whoever or whatever you hold your allegiance to, that you speak the truth?"

Jack did the only thing he could think off. He placed his right hand over his heart and swore on the stars and stripes of the American flag.

Major Lissar relaxed, as did the others. "Then it is settled. Captain Harkness must be the one to face him. You must bring him to us, and if we find he is unfit, then we shall not execute him."

Jack wasn't happy, but if was the only way he could stop them killing him, then he would do it.

"Now, how the hell do I get back on that ship?"

Major Lissar was about to answer, when a soldier stepped in the room and whispered into the Major's ear.

He dismissed the soldier and turned to Jack. "You may not have to. One of their ships has been sighted by one of our perimeter patrols. It's a command ship. Only those of high rank are allowed to fly them. Scans reveal there is only one occupant. Tell me, your friend, does he have more than one heart?"

Jack nodded.

"Then it is him, the occupant has a double heartbeat."


	14. Chapter 14

The Doctor smiled to himself, as he landed the ship. He had let the other ship see him, he wanted to be noticed. He had already sent the co-ordinates back to the fleet, but it would take them some time to get here.

He didn't care if the enemy escaped or was destroyed. There was only one thing on his mind; bring back the fixed point and keep the chance of gaining his reward.

An image of the golden-haired girl flashed through his mind. He frowned when something else rose unbidden. It was an emotion...guilt.

He shook his head, dispelling the image and the emotion. He frowned; his Lord had expelled such emotions, saying they were a weakness, along with love and pity. Stop this he chided himself, focus on the goal.

Find Harkness and bring him to his Lord.

But as he stepped out of the ship, he found he couldn't shake the emotion. He growled in frustration and managed to push the feeling down.

Concentrate of finding Harkness, he told himself.

He walked until he found himself standing on a ridge, looking out onto a vast lake. Closing his eyes, he reached out into the flowing river that was time itself. At first, he felt nothing, just the fast flow of time. It made his head swim, the sheer power of it. His breath suddenly quickened as he felt that power start to flow through him. He wanted to lose himself in it, drown in it, and become the god he should be.

Then he felt it, the disruption in the flow; the rock in the river...Harkness.

With a snarl, he opened his eyes and began climbing down the steep ridge.

* * *

Jack was sitting with Major Lissar, listening to the discussion on what should be done. It was obvious, even to Jack, that if the Doctor was here, that the rest of the fleet would be here soon.

The argument as to whether they should stay and fight or flee had been going on for the last hour. He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat.

"You've been arguing for the last hour and getting nowhere. They know where you are now, so deal with it. If you run, they'll just find you again, and it'll start again. Wouldn't it be better to strike before they have chance to increase their numbers again?"

There was murmur and Major Lissar stood up. "Perhaps Captain Harkness is right. If he has the courage to face his friend, then perhaps we should face our enemy too."

Jack didn't comment on the fact that he wouldn't be facing the Doctor in anything, if he could help it.

Another soldier entered the room and once again leant in to talk to the Major, before saluting and standing back.

"It seems you do not have to wait any longer Captain. A ship was spotted landing in the next valley over. I will provide you with transport and an escort."

Jack shook his head. "No escort, I'll go alone."

The Major nodded and gestured to the soldier. "Take the Captain to the airfield. Give him my personal shuttle. May whatever deity you believe in protect you," he said and saluted.

Jack smiled and turned to follow the soldier. He hesitated and turned back.

"One thing Major, if I manage to bring him back. There will never, not ever be an execution."

Major Lissar noted the look on Jack's face, and the tone in his voice. He nodded once and turned back to the group, that were now discussing war.

* * *

The Doctor had taken his time descending the steep slope down to the lake. He wanted to be in good condition when he finally met the captain. He didn't think he would come along willingly, and it was some time since he had been a warrior.

The thought of taking on someone in one-on-one combat made his blood sing. He stopped...that didn't feel right. His Lord had said such feelings were a weakness, battle rage led to mistakes.

He frowned, was being this far away from his Lord having an effect on him? He felt a little frisson of panic at that fact. He wanted this thing over with, so he could return to the protection of his Lord.

As he made his way round the lake, he found with growing consternation, that he couldn't control the rage.

He stopped again and this time he sat on the grass, as near to the water as he could. He closed his eyes, and reached out, wanting to touch even just the edge of his Lord's influence... but he couldn't feel it.

His hearts began to beat a little faster, and his breathing became shallower. Steeling himself, he pushed his mind dangerously close to its limits.

Then he felt it, on the very edge of his limits, that power; that feeling of emptiness. He reached out and drew it towards himself. Relief flooding through him as he once again felt it and heard it, and the howling of the darkness of his Lord erased the emotions that threatened to engulf him.

It was as he was withdrawing from it, that he felt him. He opened his eyes and with a growl he pushed himself up off the grass.

He was coming.

* * *

Jack had landed the shuttle on a small ridge, just before the valley that contained the lake. He climbed the slope and stood looking down at the lake.

The sun was beginning to set, and there would be no moon, obscured as it was by clouds. He had hoped to find the Doctor before nightfall, but that was looking unlikely.

He was about to turn away and go back to the shuttle to sleep, when he spotted the figure on the shore of the lake below. Raising his binoculars he focused on the figure.

He'd been hoping it wasn't the Doctor, but he knew that was only wishful thinking, because there he was, a silhouette, walking along the lakeside.

It was going to be a long, sleepless night...for Jack anyway.

He watched as the silhouette made its way along the lake, but soon the sun had left the sky and there was nothing but darkness. Sighing, he turned away and went back to the shuttle, and began his long night vigil.

He was almost back to it, when he heard the echoing words.

He'd sensed him as he walked along the shore, knew he was watching him. The sun was now low in the sky and would soon be gone, and he would have the cover of night. It was as the last of the sun's light and warmth left the sky, that he felt it.

They were here, quicker than he thought they would be. That meant only one thing, his Lord would soon be here.

He straightened and smiled and bellowed into the dark.

"I am coming for you Harkness, and my Lord is waiting for you!"


	15. Chapter 15

Jack stopped when the voice echoed around him. The Doctor was neared than he thought, nearer to what could be a violent confrontation. A confrontation he wasn't willing to partake in.

He knew he could take the Doctor, that wasn't the problem. The problem was, how much we he have to hurt the Doctor to do it, and when he had, what would he do then?

The TARDIS was still on board what he assumed was the flagship, and he couldn't take the Doctor back to Major Lissar. He was stuck between a very hard place and an immoveable rock.

At that moment the very hard place was approaching the atmosphere of the planet and stopped short of entering it.

Once more sleek black shapes darted from its interior and sliced through the atmosphere, black shapes merging with the dark of the night.

A figure walking in the dark looked up and heard the whisper of something passing overhead and smiled.

* * *

Jack had just sat down in the pilot's chair, when the panel in front of him went crazy, and the screen began lighting up with multiple dots.

"That isn't good," he said as more lights flared on the screen. Then he felt it, the vibration through the metal, and he moved quickly from his seat and outside.

He looked up and saw dozens, no hundreds of sleek black shapes gliding across the sky.

"This is so not good," he repeated.

He wasn't prepared for the answering growl.

"For you, it isn't."

A figure appeared out of the dark and flew at Jack.

* * *

Jack tried to go with the force of the impact, but he was a fraction too late. He found himself underneath a snarling Time Lord, who was trying to push a blade into his mid-riff.

Pushing down his surprise he shifted his weight and managed to get one leg free of his attacker. Using the leg as leverage, he managed with great effort to flip the Doctor and rollaway.

He scrambled to his feet and put a few feet between himself and the Doctor, who was getting to his feet. He'd hoped that the knife had been lost, but he saw it glinting in what light there was.

The Doctor straightened and rolled his neck, the cracking of cartilage seeming twice as loud.

"You know, I'm supposed to bring you back to my Lord. He said you have to be alive, but he never said unharmed. You caused me to fail my Lord, never again," the Doctor snarled, and shifted the knife from one hand to the other.

Jack followed the knife and the Doctor as he moved to his right, then back to his left. Jack knew he was trying to find a weak spot, trying to get past his guard.

"Bring me back alive. I don't think me being full of holes will be bringing me back alive. I don't think your Lord will be too happy if I bleed all over his carpets."

The Doctor shifted again, this time to his left, or so Jack thought he was. Faster than Jack could react, the Doctor lunged forwards, swinging the knife.

Jack hissed as he felt the knife bite into his arm.

The Doctor danced away again, keeping himself out of reach.

Jack sighed. He'd hoped he could avoid violence, but now he knew that wasn't going to be possible. Carefully, and keeping his eyes on the still moving Time Lord, he lifted his right trouser leg and slid his own blade free of its sheath.

* * *

The Doctor saw the glint of the blade as it was removed. He smiled; now it starts.

He moved, a little more carefully this time, hyper-aware of the blade in his opponent's hand.

But he sensed the others unwillingness to use it, and that he would be his advantage.

Advancing slowly, with the caution of a predator approaching prey much larger than itself, he closed the gap between them.

* * *

Jack watched as the Doctor moved closer, his movements were deliberate, cautious. This wasn't going to be a quick, bloody struggle. This was going to be slow and quite possibly murderous.

Watching the Doctor, he began to mirror his movements. He knew the stalemate wouldn't last long, one of them would break and it would begin.

The silence between them was broken by the sounds of distant thunder...no, not thunder, weapons fire.

The battle had begun.

Jack was momentarily distracted by the sound, and it was nearly a fatal mistake.

Only his quicker than normal reactions saved him, as he heard the deadly hiss of a blade passing by his stomach. He reacted instantly and swung his blade, managing to catch the Doctor's hand.

The hiss of pain told Jack he'd hit his mark, and the two protagonists backed away, both having drawn first blood.

Jack knew he had to finish this, and finish it fast. He had no doubt this planet would be swarming with troops very soon.

He let out a breath and went on the attack.

* * *

The Doctor found himself being driven back. He was now getting dangerously close to the edge of the very steep slope that led down to the lake.

He could feel the dirt shifting under his feet, one slip and he would fall. If that happened it had better kill him, it would be a better death than at the hands of his Lord.

He took another step back, and this time the ground crumbled under his feet. His balance lost, he stumbled and his knife was the first to be lost.

As he scrabbled for purchase, more of the ground gave way, and his precarious hold on what balance he had was gone, and he disappeared in a cloud of dust and rock.

Let it be swift he thought, but sudden pain seared through his shoulder as his fall was arrested. He snapped his head up and he saw Jack Harkness, fear, panic and determination etched on his face, hand wrapped round his injured hand.

In seconds that seemed to turn to forever, something sparked deep inside the Doctor's mind.

A light flickered in the darkness that filled his mind and grew, chasing the dark from his mind. He looked up at the man desperately holding on to him and he knew who he really was.

In the seconds that stretched for an eternity, he knew that the darkness that had taken his mind would never stop pursuing him. He knew there was only one way to stop it.

"Jack," he said. "Let me go."


	16. Chapter 16

Everything crystallised into one small world, formed by the words that came from the Doctor's mouth.

Jack's eye locked with the Doctor's and in that instant he knew it was once again his Doctor. Yet again he was asking him to do the impossible.

Jack gave him his answer with a shake of his head. He began inching backwards, slowly, painfully, his eyes never leaving the Doctor's.

He could see the protest in them, the silent pleading. He ignored it and he eventually began to win against gravity and the Doctor was pulled upwards.

Jack grabbed a handful of jacket with his free hand and hauled the Doctor onto firmer ground. He didn't move; he was too exhausted by his exertions. Fear of the Doctor doing something stupid paralysed his grip.

As the seconds ticked by into minutes, Jack began to relax. The Doctor was going nowhere; he looked and sounded as exhausted as Jack felt.

He chanced letting go of the Doctor, half expecting him to spring up and run.

The minutes ticked by, then Jack heard the Doctor move and time returned to reality. The sounds of battle once again filled his ears.

This was so not the place to be.

Dragging himself up, he moved closer to the Doctor who was now kneeling, his back turned to Jack.

"Doctor?" he queried, worry rising when he got no reply. "Doctor, are you okay?"

The Doctor's reply was almost a whisper. "No, not really."

Jack's stomach tightened, he recognised the sound of the Doctor in pain. "Are you hurt? Let me see."

Jack stood and blinked away dizziness and moved past the Doctor and drew in a sharp breath.

* * *

Blood was staining the Doctor's jacket and the hand that he held over his stomach.

Jack took in the Doctor's pale skin, the sheen of sweat, and his shallow breaths. He fell to his knees and went to move the Doctor's hand.

"No Jack, you can't help," the Doctor said in a small voice.

"Doctor, let me look," Jack replied and this time the Doctor let him move his hand.

Jack exhaled a shocked breath. Protruding from the Doctor's mid-riff was a large splinter of rock. He went to touch it, but the Doctor's other hand stopped him.

"No don't, I think it nicked an artery. Remove it and I'll bleed out for certain. Have to get to the TARDIS, need her to help me re..."

The Doctor's words were drowned out by a huge sonic boom. Something large had entered the planet's atmosphere.

* * *

In the valley where the army had been stationed, carnage was running amok. The dead on both sides were littering the ground.

The blood of many species stained the dirt, soldiers stepping over the dead and the dying.

Major Lissar wiped sweat and blood from his brow. He wasn't sure how and when the battle had descended into hand to hand combat, but it had.

All around him he could hear the groans of the dying and the injured, enemy and ally alike.

What pained him the most was the fact that his army was being over-whelmed. The enemy were swarming like the fire burrowers of his home world, in endless wave after wave of flesh and blood.

There was no let up. The soldiers of the enemy knew only one purpose; kill and die for their Lord. This made them unstoppable as they knew no fear of death.

He looked up as the sonic boom rolled across the sky, and he knew that the flagship had entered the atmosphere. He knew what was coming next and he did the only thing he could.

"Retreat!" he yelled and watched with a sinking heart as his much depleted army fell back.

As he turned away he thought about Captain Harkness. "May the gods protect you," he said as he climbed into one of the surviving craft.

* * *

Jack had flinched involuntarily at the noise, his attention taken from the Doctor for a few seconds. His eyes flicked upwards and he saw a vast black shadow sail overhead...no it was stopping.

It hung over Jack and the Doctor for a few moments, like a black cloud on a stormy night.

Sudden light blinded Jack and he heard a groan of pain come from the Doctor. He looked down, but couldn't see in the brilliant light. Then he felt the familiar tingle of a trans-mat as his world dissolved into sparkling nothing.

When his eyesight returned to normal, the place he found himself in was not where he wanted to be.

"Welcome back Captain. Looks like we rescued you just in time," Major Lissar.

Jack looked round him in consternation. "No...no...no, you have to take me back!"

* * *

The Doctor found himself back inside the darkness. His hand went instinctively to his stomach. There was no splinter of rock, no wetness of blood.

Then the voice came out of the darkness.

"I have healed you, for which you should be grateful. It seems that my offer was not enough to maintain your loyalty. The offer is withdrawn. She will suffer as the rest will suffer."

The Doctor shifted in the dark; he knew what was coming.

The image flashed through his mind and he saw her world, saw it burning. Then he saw her, her face tear-stained and her hands bloodied as she held his duplicate's body in her arms. She was staring defiantly at someone.

There was a sudden flash of light and the Doctor screamed her name as she burned.

"Rose!"


	17. Chapter 17

Jack turned in a circle trying to find the controls for the trans-mat. "Where is it? Where are the controls!"

Major Lissar frowned. "Why? You cannot go back, we are already in orbit."

Jack stopped and glared at the Major. "I have to go, he's dying. I can't leave him!"

"I'm sorry but he's gone. He disappeared seconds after we retrieved you. He will be back on board the flag ship. If he is injured, then he must have failed in whatever task he was sent to do. Then I am afraid he is as good as dead."

Jack blinked. "What do you mean as good as dead?"

"Whatever is in charge does not deal well with failure. My spies have attested to that. His death will not be quick or pleasant."

Jack's expression darkened. He was across the room in two strides. He grabbed hold of Major Lissar's uniform and pulled him close.

"Listen, I don't give a damn about what happened in your universe. But I do give a damn about my friend."

"Why, he is nothing but a puppet?"

"He's not!" Jack spat. "When you rescued me, he was the friend I knew. I am not going to let whatever that thing is torture and murder my friend. Now, where are the controls and how the hell do I get back on that ship?"

* * *

The Doctor closed his eyes to the scene in front of him.

Rose...his Rose was burning. His duplicate...no... his brother was dead and Pete's World was burning. He knew who their killers were and it made him sick to the soul.

"You could have saved her from this, saved her from the pain and the suffering at their hands. Now the path has returned to its course and it cannot be changed. She will die along with those she loves."

The Doctor swallowed hard, fighting the nausea that rolled in his stomach. "Why, they are nothing to you, nothing?"

There was silence and the Doctor thought he was alone once more.

Then the voice answered.

"They are a light in the universe and I despise the light."

The Doctor let the words sink in before speaking again. "And that gives you the right to kill the innocent?"

He was taken aback when laughter echoed around him. "Innocents, there are no innocents. All things have darkness inside them, all can be tempted."

The Doctor frowned. "So what are you, the Devil? I've met plenty of them in my time."

Once again the laughter echoed. "Do you think I am one of those tales parents tell their offspring to frighten them into good behaviour? I am worse than that. I am the bringer of nightmares, the chaos of war. I was ancient before your race was crawling from the primordial soup. Your petty wars are nothing but gadflies."

"Impressive," the Doctor said. "But what has all of this to do with me?"

"Your race was powerful. They could ride the winds of time, yet they did nothing. You watched as worlds fell to the worst horrors that this universe could dredge up. Cybermen, Sontarans, the Daleks. I watched them all, watched the glory of their destruction and I wanted to be part of it."

"So, why didn't you?" the Doctor asked.

There was silence again.

"Let me show you."

The Doctor reeled with the images that flashed through his mind...worlds burning, whole races disappearing in the flames of destruction that ripped through time and space. If there had been a corner, he would have crawled into it as he heard the metallic shrieks of the only thing that struck fear into his hearts.

"_The Citadel is breached! Exterminate! Exterminate all Time Lords!"_

"Please no, not that!" the Doctor cried and closed his eyes in a pointless attempt to keep the vision out.

"I felt the destruction, felt time itself convulse. It trapped me in my universe, unable to grow and expand. For eons I searched for the source of the destruction, seeing nothing but destruction. Then I found it, the source of the holocaust, and that holocaust was you. It is you I want. I want all that anger, all that bitterness, all that guilt."

The Doctor shook himself, pushing the visions from his mind. "You won't have me again. I won't serve you!"

Laughter rang out in the dark. "Oh, this time I don't want you to serve me."

Silence fell after those words.

The Doctor had never felt so alone, lost in the dark with nothing but memories for company.


	18. Chapter 18

Jack stared at the control, unsure of which switch was the right switch.

"You cannot use the trans-mat to get on board, it only works one way. You will have to use one of their ships," Major Lissar said.

Jack let out a humourless laugh. "And where am I supposed to get one of those. I don't think there's an enemy ship hire shop this side of the galaxy."

Jack's humour was lost on the Major. "You do not have to, we have one. Come, let me show you."

Jack and the Major walked past the ragged and depleted remains of the rebel army. Soldiers sat or lay, too exhausted to salute or pay much attention to the two men.

It had been almost a miracle when the advancing soldiers of the enemy had suddenly stopped and had begun to retreat.

Jack however, knew from experience that this wasn't necessarily a good thing. In his experience, it meant they were pulling back and waiting. For what he couldn't be sure, but whatever it was it couldn't be good.

The pair left the encampment behind and walked into a large hangar.

Jack let out a whistle as he saw the enemy ship. It was different to the one that had taken off with the Doctor inside.

This looked and had the feel of a killing machine.

It was smaller and if Jack was right, much lighter. He couldn't see any windows or a door, but that didn't mean there wasn't one. Unlike the other ship, this one bristled with weaponry.

Jack counted at least six gun turrets, probably lasers and what looked suspiciously like missiles attached to each side. This was definitely a killing machine.

"It's a one man fighter. Well we think it's a one man fighter. It's the only way you'll get on board. You won't have to worry about talking, it's all done automatically."

There was a hiss as the door opened and they stepped inside. The inside was a little cramped, but it was a fighter not a luxury liner.

"The controls are quite basic. I think all the pilot does is point and shoot. It's almost like they're just a part of the machine."

Jack sat in the seat and looked at the controls. "I can do this."

Major Lissar put a hand on his shoulder. "I hope you find your friend, but I do not hold out too much hope. The Darkness does not tolerate failure."

* * *

The Doctor tried to keep the images out of his mind, but they were too strong. Images of whole worlds burning filled his head, whole races being obliterated in an endless storm of fire.

Then the voice spoke again. "It need not be this way, but you failed me, and now you refuse to serve me again. But like I said, this time I do not want you to serve me."

The Doctor shivered as his head was finally clear of the nightmares of the past and of the future.

The words didn't make sense to him. "Then if you don't want me to serve you, what do you want?"

The voice was silent for a few moments. "You will see," it said quietly.

This time the Doctor shivered, not with relief but as a chill ran down his spine. They were only three words, but to him they held all the menace of two universes.

He braced himself, expecting more nightmare visions but none came and he fell into a deep sleep. He never noticed the blackness round him start to swirl and become a vortex of black nothing.

He never saw or felt the inky black tendrils wrap themselves round him, until he could not be seen and there was nothing but the dark of the void.


	19. Chapter 19

Jack would have laughed at how easy it was to get on board the leviathan that was now back in orbit around the planet, but for the fact that he was stepping back into the viper's nest.

The fighter landed with hardly a bump and he heard the door hiss open. This was going to be the hard part, he thought.

He adjusted the uniform. It was a little snug, but beggars and all. He stepped out of the fighter and into the mass of soldiers.

This is easy he thought and then...

"You soldier!" a voice rang out.

Jack tried to ignore the voice, hoping it was directed at someone else...no such luck.

"You, the one who's just left the fighter! To attention soldier!"

Jack tried to calm his racing heart and turned on his heels.

He was approached by another soldier, but this one had three red stripes on his armour.

"What sector have you been patrolling?"

Jack started to sweat inside his head gear... Sector? He shrugged mentally and took a gamble.

"Delta Sector sir!" he said and snapped a salute.

"Delta Sector. You are to report to Central Command for re-assignment!"

"Yes sir!" Jack barked in reply and started to walk in the direction he hoped was Central Command.

"Where are you going soldier, you know Central Command is the other way."

Jack winced and did a quick about face and melted into the mass of soldiers before the officer could question him. He felt the sweat tickling his neck, but he couldn't afford to stop and remove his helmet, he wanted away from the mass ranks.

He turned the corner and was relieved to see it was virtually empty. Straightening his shoulders, he began walking along the corridor with a false sense of bravado. All he wanted to do was find the Doctor.

As he walked along the corridor he noticed there was distinct lack of soldiers with their faces covered and he was beginning to receive stares and frowns of disapproval. He was thankful when the corridor ended and he saw two oversized guards standing on either side of a door.

He approached and with a confidence he didn't feel, he made to go through, but was stopped by an overlarge hand.

He tensed, but the oversized guard just rumble and hold out the other oversized hand "No face covering in Central Command."

Jack knew he had no choice, so he removed his helmet and waited for the reaction...it didn't come.

The guards didn't react at all, and the one that held out his hand just took the helmet from Jack, whilst the other opened the door.

Jack stepped through and into a world that seemed like utter madness.

* * *

The Doctor dreamed of plains of wild red grass. He dreamt of running through it, feeling the grass whip across his legs as he ran...he hadn't done this since...he was a child!

He whirled round and looked back across the red grass and he cried out in horror...the fields of grass were burning and the stench of burning flesh suddenly hit his nostrils and awful sounds were carried on the breeze.

The screams of the dying.

He tried to turn away from the sounds and the smell but he was paralysed by fear. Then the scene began to change and the smoke cleared and the smell began to fade and the red grass turned black.

Ash blew all around him and the grass turned to desert, and the ash mingled with his tears as he sank into the blackened ground.

He sensed someone behind him, but didn't react. He didn't even twitch when a hand was placed gently on his shoulder and a voice spoke in a soft tone.

"Soon all of this will no longer exist and you will no longer be burdened by the guilt and shame. Soon you will be free, you will be what you were meant to be...soon."

The Doctor never felt the hand move from his shoulder, nor did he move from his knees.

Tears mixed with the ashes of a burnt world and the Doctor dreamed of plains of wild red grass.


	20. Chapter 20

Jack wasn't quite sure what to make of what they called Central Control. To him it was like walking through a crazy fairground ride.

He could see no people, just what seemed like a swirling darkness. He thought he saw movement in the shadows, he couldn't be certain. He felt the urge to leave this section without dawdling.

He jumped when a voice came out of the darkness.

"You will wait here."

Jack could do nothing but comply, but his patience was wearing thin. This was not helping him find the Doctor.

He stood in the middle of the swirling darkness. His nerves were stretched to their snapping point. There was something about this room that didn't feel right or good.

There was another hiss and a door opened.

The inside of the room was a dark as the other room. That was until the door hissed shut.

The room began to brighten and what was revealed made his blood freeze.

* * *

The Doctor dreamed of his home and to his surprise he found himself standing outside it.

This was wrong, it had to be. His home was long gone, destroyed in the first Dalek strike. Yet, it looked like his home.

Then the voice spoke again, but he did not hear it.

"Soon this will be nothing but a half-remembered story, something to be forgotten. Your past is nothing, but your future...oh your future will be glorious. Dream whilst you can. Soon you will have no need for dreams. For I am coming and you will be mine."

The Doctor dreamed of his home and tears mixed with the ashes of a burning world.

* * *

The light revealed an impossibly huge hall. Stone pillars stretched up as far as Jack could see, and flags of different colours fluttered in a non-existent breeze.

It looked and felt way too much like a temple for his liking. Nor did he like the rows of soldiers that were standing to attention. Nor did he like the way they cut off his escape route as he walked past them.

But all of that was forgotten when he saw him and his heart froze in fear and despair.

He never even blinked when the mass of soldiers shouted. "The Darkness will be re-born!"

Jack tried not to hurry up the step of the dais, but as he reached the final step he felt the ground rumble under his feet.

The figure that was kneeling on the dais shuddered and this spurred Jack on. He touched the figure on the shoulder.

"Doctor?"

It was then that he felt it, something malevolent; something not right. He looked up and for the first time saw the swirling blackness and something ran through him...fear!

* * *

The floor rumbled under his feet again, but he ignored it. He turned back towards the Doctor and inhaled sharply.

The Doctor's face was blank and he was trembling, as if he was fighting some internal battle.

Jack felt it again, and this time it was much, much closer. He turned to face it and he suddenly stumbled back.

Out of the swirling blackness, something was emerging.

It had no form but was a sickly black, like oil...yet it didn't move like oil. It moved like something else...a snake.

Jack backed away from it as something primal told him to stay away from it.

It slithered across the dais and head straight for the Doctor. It reached the Doctor and touched one hand.

Jack wanted to move as the Doctor let out a whimper of fear.

His heart was torn in two when the Doctor turned his head and looked directly at him, and his heart stopped when he whispered.

"Jack please...the darkness comes."

* * *

The Doctor's word broke whatever spell it had over him and he lunged forward, but found himself overpowered by several soldiers.

The oil for want of a better word now covered the Doctor's arm and was engulfing his whole body and the cries of desperation and pleas for Jack's help ripped through Jack like a dagger.

Then there was silence as the oil covered his mouth and flowed into him.

Jack watched in horror as it flowed down the Doctor's throat and disappeared inside of him. He struggled in vain as the Doctor began to convulse and he arched backwards in a spine-breaking spasm.

Then was silence, as if the whole hall was waiting.

The Doctor stopped convulsing and straightened.

He looked straight at Jack, who stopped struggling and felt his blood chill...there was nothing behind his eyes...nothing.

The Doctor got up from his knees and turned towards the waiting soldiers. He looked around him for a few moments and then began to laugh before roaring.

"I am free, I am risen!"

The soldier answered with one voice. "Darkness has risen, the Light will die!"

_**To Be Continued in "Darkness Rises"**_


End file.
